There are two facts about the Florida Panthers you probably need to know right now. Only one matters (at least for the moment).
NHL scores 2016: Panthers keep streak alive with 11th straight win
But can they eat hot dogs like Jim Harbaugh?
Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
The first is simple: they're absolutely on fire. With a 3-2 win in Ottawa on Thursday, Florida extended its win streak to an incredible 11 games. They've skyrocketed to the top spot in the Atlantic Division, five points clear of a Montreal Canadiens team that paced the Eastern Conference for a third of the season.
Six more wins and the Panthers will tie the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins for the longest win streak in NHL history.
So that’s great. And a fact. The other fact you need to know is that they aren’t the third best team in the NHL, despite what their points total tells you. Their play is unsustainable and will probably crash soon under the weight of underlying stats and waning momentum. No doubt you’ve heard that speech from naysayers already.
And they aren’t wrong! All good things come to an end, and stats probably indicate the Panthers’ streak isn’t a good measure of how good they actually are. But it can be something to build on.
And it's fun. So enjoy the freshness of a young, new team in the playoff hunt before the Penguins or Lightning inevitably rise up again.
Scores
Panthers 3, Senators 2
Kings 2, Leafs 1
3 things we learned
1. Alex Ovechkin doesn't need his favorite stick to score
Ovechkin is approaching 500 goals in his career, so it's only appropriate he start impressing us with his adaptability while he marches towards the milestone. Ovi broke his stick, went to the bench, grabbed a new one and immediately scored in the same sequence for goal 497.
2. Arizona is weathering Mike Smith's absence
And they're doing it far better than you might have expected them to. Pushing Anders Lindback from the starting job wasn't a tall task, but Louis Dominigue is actually inspiring confidence while doing it. Dominigue stopped 25 of 26 shots on Thursday, propelling the Coyotes to a 2-1 win over the Flames to finish a 2-0-1 road trip through Western Canada. Since Mike Smith's injury, Domingue is 5-0-2.
3. Del Zotto stepped up when Ghost Bear went down
Or Gostisbehere. Whatever. The Minnesota Wild injured young Shayne Gostisbehere on Thursday, leaving the Flyers without their thrilling young offensive defenseman for much of the game. In stepped their veteran. Michael Del Zotto scored a big goal in the second period and the even-bigger game-winner in overtime to give Philadelphia a 4-3 win. Just three points out of eighth, the wild card hunt isn't out of reach for Philly just yet.
Impact Moment
Jim Harbaugh ate a hot dog at the Sharks game. You might not think that sounds impactful, but just look at his face. No man has ever eaten a hot dog with a more distrustful look on his face.
@jonathanwold pic.twitter.com/tIN6jiUz50
— Richard Flores (@RFlores91) January 8, 2016 Stat of the Night
This is the 1st time in N. American pro sports history that 2 teams w/ same nickname (Panthers) each had 11-game win streaks in same season
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 8, 2016 Post to Post
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